James Jones has recently been found not guilty of first degree murder of Lisa Smith. The victim's family has decided to have the case tried as a wrongful death case in a different court. James Jones believes that he is free from additional court activity due to rights guaranteed by the constitution. Several weeks later, Mr. Jones is given notice of his new upcoming court date. Since James had originally been charged with first degree murder, he would have been thought to have had the thought process available to plan and carry out the murder, which could be defined as ______.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Mens rea refers to the intention or knowledge of wrongdoing that constitutes part of a crime, as opposed to the action or conduct of the accused. Since the statement mentions James would have had the thought process to plan and carry out the murder, it directly relates to the concept of mens rea, which is the mental element of a person's intention to commit a crime.

James Jones Has Recently Been Found Not Guilty of First